The importance of home windows

shutterstock_84162844When buying or having a home built, it is important to take windows into consideration.

Windows provide our homes with light, warmth, and ventilation, but they can also negatively impact a home’s energy efficiency. You can reduce energy costs by installing energy-efficient windows in your home. If your budget is tight, energy efficiency improvements to existing windows can also help.

If you are having a home built in the Burlington area and are energy conscious, the informed consultants at Bucci Homes can walk you through the process.

The staff at Bucci Homes will explain that you can improve the energy efficiency of existing windows by adding storm windows, caulking and weather stripping, and using window treatments or coverings. They have several tips on Twitter to browse. Visit @BucciHomes.

Adding storm windows can reduce air leakage and improve comfort. Caulking and weather stripping can reduce air leakage around windows. Use caulk for stationary cracks, gaps, or joints less than one-quarter-inch wide and weather stripping for building components that move, such as doors and operable windows. Window treatments or coverings can reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Most window treatments, however, aren’t effective at reducing air leakage or infiltration.

If your home has very old and/or inefficient windows, it might be more cost-effective to replace them than to try to improve their energy efficiency. New, energy-efficient windows eventually pay for themselves through lower heating and cooling costs and sometimes even lighting costs.

When properly selected and installed, energy-efficient windows can help minimize your heating, cooling, and lighting costs. Improving window performance in your home involves design, selection, and installation.

Before selecting new windows for your home, determine what types of windows will work best and where to improve your home’s energy efficiency. It’s a good idea to understand the energy performance ratings of windows so you’ll know what energy performance ratings you need for your windows based on your climate and the home’s design.